842 



PBACTICAL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS 



often reach a height of 3-4 ft. in favour- 

 able situations, and produce during the 

 summer months racemes about 9 in. long 

 and 4 in. in diameter, of large, creamy- 

 white flowers. 



Culture dc. as above. 



ORNITHOGALUM (Stak of Beth- 

 lehem). — A large genus of plants with 

 tunicated bulbs, linear or strap -shaped 

 radical leaves and simple leafless scapes 

 ending in elongated or somewhat 

 corymbose racemes of more or less 

 showy flowers. Perianth with 6 distinct 

 segments, uniform in colour or striped 

 and nerved with green behind. Stamens 

 6, usually hypogynous. 



Culture and Propagation. — Out of 

 about 70 species only a few are suitable 

 for the flower garden, and some object to 

 even these on account of their alliaceous, 

 Garlic or ' Oniony ' perfume. Grovm in 

 masses or naturalised in grass they are 

 very attractive from a floral point of view, 

 and the flowers of many of them last a 

 long time when cut. Some kinds like the 

 beautiful 0. arahicum are rather tender 

 except in the mildest parts of the country, 

 and should be well protected with leaves, 

 litter &o. in winter. They all flourish in 

 ordinary well-drained garden soil, but the 

 richer it is the more vigorous will the 

 plants grow. New plants are obtained by 

 separating the offsets from the older bulbs, 

 as vnth Camassias, Soillas, and other 

 closely allied groups. 



O. arabicum. — A beautiful species from 

 S. Europe and N. Africa with large 

 whitish more or less pear-shaped bulbs 

 and thick Unear channelled leaves 12-18 

 in. long. The large creamy white flowers 

 about 2 in. across, with bright yellow 

 anthers, and a brilliant shining black 

 ovary in the centre, appear in June and 

 July in clusters at the end of a scape 1-2 

 ft. high. They emit a strong odour which 

 is considered the reverse of agreeable by 

 some folk. 



Culture Sc. as above. This species 

 requires protection in winter with leaves, 

 litter, moss &c. over the crowns. The 

 bulbs may be grown in glasses in the same 

 way as Hyacinths. 



O. nutans. — A free-growing species 

 from Southern Europe, but quite hardy 

 enough to become naturalised in parts of 

 the British Islands. It has narrow 

 flaccid leaves 12-18 in. long, and loose 

 racemes of drooping white flowers in 



April and May, the outer surface of the 

 segments being veined with green, and 

 the scapes 9-12 in. high. The variety 

 boucheanum is more attractive than the 

 type. It is dwarfer in growth, but has 

 larger flowers. 



Culture do. as above. 



O. pyramidale. — A native of S.W. 

 Europe, with fairly large whitish Hyacinth- 

 like bulbs and bright green lance-shaped 

 leaves. The pure white flowers, striped 

 with green behind, are borne in June 

 and July, in pyramidal racemes 6-8 in. 

 long at the end of a scape l|-2 ft. high. 



This pretty plant has its beauty some- 

 what marred by the fact that the leaves 

 begin to wither and lose their fresh green 

 appearance before the blossoms, which 

 are quite 1 in. across, begin to expand. 

 It possesses the recommendation, how- 

 ever, of thriving in shady spots and 

 among thin shrubberies. 



Culture dc. as above. 



O. pyrenaicum, which has pale yellow- 

 green flowers, striped with green outside, 

 is not nearly so handsome, but it wiU 

 also grow in shaded places, and may 

 be used for this purpose like 0. pyrami- 

 dale. Now naturalised in parts of Britain. 



Culture dc. as above. 



O. umbellatum. — This is the Common 

 Star of Bethlehem, native of S. Europe, 

 and now also naturalised in parts of 

 England in copses and meadows. It has 

 linear channelled leaves 6-12 in. long, 

 with a white stripe down the centre. In 

 May and Jiuie the white flowers, striped 

 with green behind, are borne in umbels 

 or corymbs on a scape 6-9 in. high. The 

 flowers open an hour or so before mid- 

 day and close again in the afternoon about 

 3 or 4 o'clock. This is very hardy, and 

 when once planted need not be disturbed 

 for 3 or 4 years. 



Other species of Ornithogalum, more 

 or less suitable for the flower border, but 

 not quite so handsome as those described, 

 are latifolium, narhonense,aiiisororium, 

 all with white flowers. 



Culture do. as above. 



LILIUM (Lily). — A large genus of 

 well-known and very beautiftil flowering 

 plants usually with scaly bulbs, and erect 

 simple leafy stems sometimes branched at 

 the apex, and bearing one or more large 

 showy flowers either drooping, horizontal, 

 or erect, in loose racemes. The funnel- 



